Man accused of kidnapping mother, baby released from jail

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A man who allegedly kidnapped a woman and her baby in a jealous fit last month has been released from jail with the permission of a Clark County Justice Court judge, court records show.

Gary Casupang, 59, of Las Vegas, had been behind bars since March 12 on kidnapping and extortion charges without bail before Judge William Kephart freed him on his own recognizance on Monday. Under the conditions of his release, he has been banned from contacting the alleged victims and their family.

According to a Metro Police report, Casupang took the woman's baby on March 12 because he became jealous of a drug dealer she was speaking with outside her house in the 6900 block of Brier Creek Lane, near Grand Teton Drive and North Rainbow Boulevard.

The woman, 22, told police she wasn't Casupang's boyfriend, but he often paid her for sex and wanted to date her.

He allegedly threatened via a text message to drop the baby off at Child Protective Services, a police station or with the woman’s mother if she didn’t meet Casupang at a nearby intersection.

The woman reportedly met with Casupang, who prevented her from getting to the baby and forced her to get in the car’s front passenger seat. They fought before two homeless people came to the woman's aid, the report said.

The woman called her mother for a ride, and when they returned home, the house was on fire and Casupang was in the yard trying to contain it with a water hose, the report said.

Three dogs and a parrot died in the fire, which also caused about $50,000 in damage to the home, Las Vegas Fire & Rescue officials said. Neighbors told investigators that a person had tossed an item into a bedroom window, causing the blaze.

Casupang has denied any involvement in the fire, which remains under investigation.